Ever wonder what goes through the artist's mind? Why she paints and creates? What her process is?
Here you will see it all. Pet portraits, landscapes, still life and figurative work. I will show you what I am working on, explain the process and the motivation behind my work. Some works will be successful and others will not. Some will be completed in one day, others may take weeks, months or years.
Welcome to Soulful Studios and the art from the heart and soul of Lori Levin.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Happy post Thanksgiving everyone! I figured I would start off the holiday season with the final installment of Max's pet portrait. Isn't he a charming and handsome fellow? I can just imagine the doggie manipulation that took place over the holiday to score some turkey treats! My own Mr. Brady really worked the crowd here at Soulful Studios, I can guess that Mr. Max was doing the same. Don't you find your meal more enjoyable when some little brown eyes look at every morsel with longing? Ok, maybe that's taking things too far but I just can't imagine a holiday without some little fury child doing his best begging act. Can you?

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Almost there folks. Some pieces literally draw themselves. For my readers who are learning about art or are curious about the process, I'll explain.

This dog portrait had a lot in its favor from the start. The head was already at a three-quarter angle. Airedales have great wiry coats that lend to lots of detail and fun pencil strokes. Max's coloring has many different tones and values that allow me to easily model and render the image, making it not only interesting but three dimensional. His face has a natural smile that is charming and his eyes sparkle. Finally, his owners are positive people who appreciate the process and allow me to work freely. Put this all together and you have a very enjoyable commission to create.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Every now and then I get a chance to do a commission of a dog that makes me smile the entire time I work. This is just one of those opportunities. Max is a well loved Airedale and I have the honor of doing his dog portrait in graphite. He is so cheerful looking and handsome in his photos. I'm told he even has the name "Mr. Handsome" at his vet's office. I cannot tell you what a pleasure it is to work on this piece.

Max's dog portrait is a loving anniversary gift. It never ceases to amaze me how important pets are in our lives. They hold such a special place in our hearts that reference to them is used as a romantic gesture. This just tickles me to no end.

Stay tuned and in a few days Soulful Studios will share Max's pet portrait update. Now go pet your furry family member! If you'd like to make a romantic gesture of your own contact me and let's make it happen.

Friday, November 05, 2010

Walking down my street earlier in the week I noticed a few brave branches of forsythia blooming as well as some other non-seasonal treats. Fall is here but the weather plays games with the temperature making not only humans but nature confused on what to wear. I used to think that only mankind twisted things but after my stroll I decided nothing is immune to mixed signals.

Nothing is ever clear cut. Going with the flow is important but getting swept up in inconsistency can often lead to no good. Ask those little spring like flowers about it after the next few near freezing nights. They'll tell you they wished they waited to make sure the warmth was status quo and not happenstance.

The above dog portrait in oil has nothing to do with happenstance. The conversation between the dogs and the viewer is quite deliberate. Depending on your relationship or knowledge of their personalities the story will change. Oh, perhaps Soulful Studios just made a deceptive statement. Maybe the background story would change your experience? Mixed signals indeed.

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More About Lori

Lori is a graduate of Moore College of art and Design. She was the cover artist for the April 2002 and August 2003 issues of the Equine Marketer and was featured in the July 2001 edition of the Horse News. She was selected as one of 6 artists for a special canine art exhibition at Sagemore Gallery, Ocean City, NJ, benefiting the Humane Society. The artist is well known for her pet portraits and animal paintings and her work is collected nationally. She is currently accepting commissions for horse, small animal and people portraits in oil or graphite.